Harbour Festival Heemstede. Wednesday 24 June 2026

Two rotary clubs organised a festival at the harbour of Heemstede paid for by sponsors while all proceeds will go to a good cause, poor children in Haarlem. For my own band Sweetwood, it was a new experience to see our band name on billboards and flyers all over Heemstede. For an amateur band to be on the same bill as (semi-)professional artists is quite something.

The day was extremely warm. In fact it was hot and I felt truly sorry for the people who have been working all day to put everything up and to take it down again late in the evening. It also showed that the location at the harbour of Heemstede lends itself really well for activities like this. People come in by bike or on foot and the more fortunate people sail in with their sloop and watch the festivities from the water.

The festival opened with Haarlem based singer-songwriter Yorick van Norden. Van Norden is fairly well known at national level, as he can be heard on the radio and seen on tv. Besides that, he is also seen as an expert on The Beatles' music. I've seen him perform in the open air theater Caprera in Bloemendaal where he also introduced the film 'The Last Waltz' that was played on a big screen on nice spring evening. He started his show with a very appropriate song, 'Here Comes The Sun'. And did that sun come! I was already soaking wet from just setting everything up and soundchecking. Alternating between his own songs and another cover, David Bowie's 'Space Oddity', Van Norden played a short but very pleasant set. Accompanying himself on a beautiful acoustic guitar, he made a great impression for far too little people paying attention.

The third act was Amsterdam "volkszanger" Danilo Kuiters. His kind of music, is totally not mine. Perhaps because of that, I had never heard his name before. To my surprise there were a lot of people who could sing along to his songs and having a great time. That was deserved, because the music in a setting like this can put a smile on faces, including mine. Most "volkszangers" performed with a tape in the old days and today perform with a usb stick containing the music and sing live over it. Unfortunately this went wrong somewhere, because at some point the electricity failed and kept failing every time things were reset, so Kuiters could not finish his intended set.

The headliner was the Hermes House Band. This band started 45 years ago and has had over 140 members through the years. The members are all from the Rotterdam student fraternity Hermes, its house band. So, the version we saw were students with an average age of what, 21, 22 years?, including three singers and two horns. If I heard correctly, the bassist played his second show and the keyboard player his last. These youngsters are all so good, at an age that I did not even think I would ever play in a band, in fact, did not play an instrument. They were joined by a veteran member for a few songs, who still knew all the moves, suggesting the choreography does not change either. The repertoire is most likely what that first versions of the band must have played, all disco songs from the 70s and 80s. Almost all played in a somewhat faster version than the original. The audience, average age at a minimum 50, danced like they used to, despite the heat. I think there was only one song I could not sing along with and there was a Bruno Mars and an Avici song from 10s. The band's claim to fame, was its version of the Gloria Gaynor's 1979 (and 1988) hitsingle 'I Will Survive'. The band scored a huge hit in 1994 with 'I Will Survive (La La La)' by taking one of the horn lines in the background of the original and turned it into a prominent vocal line. It accompanies each goal football club Feyenoord scores at a home match. Of course they kept it for last. Before it, one hit song after the other, in the form of full songs, shorter renditions and medleys, was fired at the audience, with an enthusiasm and energy that was incredible and certainly under these extreme circumstances. If you want to build a huge party, this is your band.

And Sweetwood? I can only write about ourselves that we were very happy with our set. We proved that we can handle a podium like this. Our repertoire is very diverse and except for our slow blues songs, we played some of all else. The audience responded, sang along, clapped to the rhythm when invited. What more can you ask for as a cover band. So, if you are looking for party but slightly more modest than the Hermes House Band provides, come to us.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 26. 5 singles

A long, long time ago Martha and the Vandellas sang a song called 'Heat Wave' and the band Heatwave scored a hit called 'Boogie Nights'. With the temperatures awaiting us in the coming days, I doubt if there is going to be a lot of boogieing. Listening to music is always an option of course, so here's four recent singles and one EP for you to explore. Enjoy, but keep cool!

CIA. Mont Loser

'CIA' is very likely the loudest song recorded by the former Dutch band Caesar on what proved to be its last album around 2003. It looks like that is the mood that the U.S.' Central Intelligence Agency conjures up within musicians. Proof of point, Mont Loser from Paris, France really goes for the jugular as well on its new single. The song flies right off the road into an orgy of guitars and sound eruptions. If CIA expresses what the youth of France thinks about the U.S., it is clear we all have to start looking elsewhere. This song is not pretty, a far cry from welcoming, total chaos, a statement of anger. Nothing is hidden, despite the sound being a mud pool of noise, with everyone playing and singing at their loudest. The message is clear.

Hollow Heart EP. Heidi Curtis

The intro to the title song opening Heidi Curtis' EP really put me on the wrong foot. Listening to the acoustic guitar I expected to be listening to a singer-songwriter song. When the band kicks in that is changed into something that mixes between 70s rock and 2026 pop rock. And Heidi Curtis' voice will ring another bell with everyone listening to 'Hollow Heart'. When the acoustic guitar returns for a short intermezzo, the Buckingham-Nicks connection is even underscored. This EP starts with an extremely strong track. This impression does not leave me in 'Behind The Doors'. Of course, the music lover with some mileage behind him will think to have heard it before, but then isn't 'Rumours' the best selling classic rock album on vinyl for several years in row? The number of youths I see walking with it in records stores tells it all. Of course a new generation is influenced by its sound.The strong point of Hollow Heart is that it does not make me want to hear 'Rumours' immediately. I do not mind spending time with the powerful poprock songs of Heidi Curtis from Newcastle in the U.K., and her powerful voice.

Making Pretty Babies. Sally Jaye

Nostalgia seems to be the theme of this and the previous singles post. Believe me, the order is random as far as I'm concerned. This is roughly the order songs come in, with leaving out what doesn't attract me at first hearing. Sally Jaye brings that mix of music that is somewhere between roots, americana, country and a little rock. My all time favourite song in that genre is Hazeldine's 'Drive', from the late 1990s. Making Pretty Babies reminds me of that song, as it catches the same atmosphere. The pedal steel guitar is a nice additions, as it gives the song a more traditional sound. The band obviously knows what is expected of it and all Sally Jaye has to do, is sing convincingly with her voice that has the right timbre for this kind of music. And she does just that.

Drunk at the Gym. Jazmine Mary

This morning I was at the gym. Perhaps there was a little alcoholic residue left in my body, but I was certainly not drunk. Drunk At The Gym, Jazmine Mary's new single, is a far weirder affair. It starts with a car park and a bag of drunks. From there you better follow the story yourself. Ms. Mary sing-tells the story to us, singing in her deeper registry, giving the song a darker mood. With that she falls into line with (former) label mates Aldous Harding and Vera Ellen, who are able to create a mood like this also. The accompaniment is not your average as well. A banjo, strings and a clarinet steel the bigger roles from the more traditional instruments. When she moves up a register with her voice, the mood changes for a short while. All together, it makes Drunk At The Gym an intriguing single.  

Beautiful Things. Donnie Vie

After 'Plain Jane' in February of this year, Donnie Vie finds himself again on these pages. Again, it is a single that has a psychedelic vibe like The Beatles created around 1967 and adds a pop element that brings the best pop singles of the era to mind. Beautiful Things is a song with nothing less than a wall of sound, in music and singing behind Donnie Vie. Nothing was held back in order to make this song shine. It's as if Jeff Lynne and George Harrison had brought together another band than The Traveling Wilburys. To create an even bigger form of pop music than ELO itself ever made. Beautiful Things is an undertaking and Donnie Vie gets away with it with ease. Beautiful Things could easily have become a pastiche of things past or worse, a failure. It isn't, and that tells you enough about the accomplishment of Donnie Vie and his team.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 24. 10 singles

Another week has sped by, it seems to go ever faster. In between I have played a great live set with my own band Sweetwood, that showed that we are still progressing and become better. Below you find ten recent singles, with a surprising number of duos making their debut on this blog. Old and new, you will find it all, so enjoy!

Deny. La Sécurité

Post punk? Yes, very much so. La Sécurité dives into the postpunk coming out of the U.K. around of 1980, when melody was traded for a sort of communist five year plan kind of music. All pleasure was traded in for music of a rigorous socialist orthodoxy kind. Enter Deny in 2026. The rhythms, the talk-singing, the accents and bursts of guitars all fit. Except this song is set on fire. The Montreal art-punk collective makes the song come totally alive and manages to throw in a musical joke or two. Listen to how the electric guitars drop away revealing the synth underneath them. Slowly but surely it also becomes clear how danceable Deny is. the song is a clear winner. Eat your heart out Gang of Four and their ilk.

Tide - Prologue. The Stream

Leiden's The Stream has found its way to this blog for over a decade now. Jan Stroomer and band are true veterans. When a new record is announced, I tend to prick up my ears. Fans will remember fondly how the previous record, 'Nature Calls', was accompanied live with a host of physics and chemistry experiments while the band played on. In 2026 things have changed somewhat. The band decided to record an instrumental album, 'Flood', and had to say goodbye to its long time drummer Koen van Dijk. This results in music that is rather far detached from what I usually listen to, but then being a guitar man, The Stream always was a bit aside of my usual musical playground. I notice that it is easy to listen to Tide - Prologue. The piano plays an upbeat melody, that comes close to classical, making The Stream leave its usual habitat of pop songs with a piano as main instrument. The doubled part gives Tide - Prologue a nice darker edge, allowing some tension to enter the composition. It is the first release from an upcoming EP, ''Flood - Prologue'.

Young Hearts. Isaac Roux

I was about to write that we have a debut on the blog, were it not that Erwin Zijleman reviewed Isaac Roux' (Louis de Roo) debut album 'Troubeld Waters' two years ago. For me it is though and I'm pleasantly surprised by the uptempo song Young Hearts is. A long time ago Rod Stewart sang about "young hearts" in his hit single 'Young Turks' and Isaac Roux taps into this line of energy, while making his song rougher and more alternative. It starts right away with the intro, where an electric guitar is allowed to go for it, after which most instruments drop away when the first verse starts, to come in again on the second line. There is some Kensington in the way the chorus presents itself, except that Young Hearts avoids the platitudes in the music that band excels in. Young Hearts remains alive, fiery and energetic. Bigger and bigger seems to be the adagium used in this single and it works from beginning to end.

Precious Days. Brand New Heartache

Usually, I listen to new singles on You Tube, as most are available there and it's easier and faster to access them. So I found that Brand New Heartache, the Nashville husband-and-wife duo of Eleese and Matthew Meschery, has exactly 1 person who subscribes to their channel and and the video had 13 views. That is no reason to write a review but this song is. Based on what I'm hearing these numbers ought to rise fast. Precious Days meanders somewhere between country, folk and pop. It's a great up tempo song not unlike Emmylou Harris' rendition of Chuck Berry's 'C'est La Vie (You Never Can Tell)'. Precious Days simply rocks and is rich in sound, orchestration and vocal delivery. Far more comparisons are possible to make, but I'll let you find your own favourites. I prefer to just like Precious Days for what it is. Album 'A New Alchemy' is slated for 24 July. Based on what I'm hearing here, it's something to look out for alright.

3, 2, 1. Bente 

Bente is meer een naam voor mij dan een zangeres. Wel heb ik een paar afleveringen gezien van het programma 'Beste Zangers', waarin zij liet zien een heleboel in haar mars te hebben. Haar eigen werk gaat tot nu toe gewoonweg langs mij heen. Tot dat ik dit nummer hoorde op de Radio 2 ochtendshow waar mijn vrouw graag naar luistert voor het werk. Ik hoorde een heleboel energie en vooral een alternatieve poprock song waar de stukken vanaf vlogen. Ja, ik krijg de doorgaans jeuk van de manier waarop veel jonge, Nederlandse zangeressen zingen. Bente moet deze techniek in 3, 2, 1 grotendeels loslaten, omdat het tempo zo hoog ligt. De manier van zinnen afbreken dat lukt nog wel, nog zoiets, maar maakt het nummer niet minder goed. Hier wordt gerockt en het staat Bente goed. De opbouw is eveneens goed. De rustpunten in het nummer zal er voor zorgen dat een zaal op het juiste moment loos zal gaan. 3, 2, 1 is een sterke Nederlandstalige pop- en rocksong.

Low Sunday Ghost Machine - Black EP. Lowsunday

Lowsunday is the second of four duos making their debut on this blog in the same week. Shane Sahene (vocals, guitar, synth, bass, drums) and Bobby Spell (bass, guitar, drums) are the two members of the original band from the late 90s who came back to release new music. In 2026, I can't judge the old work, I'm afraid, Lowsunday releases music that is as dark as it used to be in the 1980s except that it lays the light side of a band like The Cure or Big Country over its Joy Division foundation. The result is music that is simply infectious. Opening song 'You're So Wired' immediately sets the stage for rock and for the typical shoegaze style of dancing, i.e. looking at the points of your shoes and move as little as possible. Should you not be a shoegazer, I'm sure other forms of dancing are allowed by Lowsunday. Tracks like 'You're So Wired' and 'Shattered' are made for moving with abandon. Should the band plan to play live again, it will need more musicians, as layer after layer of guitars and other stuff are stacked upon each other creating a huge wall of sound. Lowsunday certainly did not leave it to chance where its comeback is concerned. This kind of music makes you noticed immediately. Love it or hate it, you can't escape it. I'm all good here.

Bug In The Cake. Violet Grohl 

Going by the name Grohl, no matter what you say, will open a lot of doors. Father is famous for well over 30 years, first as drummer and then as front man of Foo Fighters. Violet has recently released her debut album 'Be Sweet To Me' and received a lot of attention surrounding the release. It made me somewhat sceptical, next to having too many albums to listen to already. And then I ran into this video. I can only admit straight up that Bug In The Cake is a great alternative rock song. In fact, I love it. It fits in very nicely with alternative rock songs coming out of the U.S. since the 1990s. It has just enough of a pop vibe, because it has a few great hooks and an instantly singable (pre) chorus. Not to forget some great guitar solos. Bug In The Cake has a lot of urgency that Violet Grohl is sharing with the world and the song is simply a lot better than many, not all, her dad gave the world. It looks like I have another album to listen to.

Backstabber (Tailor's Version). The Dresden Dolls

And here is another new name on this blog. Although I have heard the name The Dresden Dolls before, I do not recall having heard its music. That may have been a great miss, as Backstabber (Tailor's Version) is a great song. Duos come in a lot of ways but usually it is guitar and drums ever since The White Stripes, with some doing bass - drums like Royal Blood. The Dresden Dolls present themselves as a piano - drums duo. Reading up on the band, I found that the band formed in 2000 and released two albums in the 00s. One of these albums, 'Yes, Virginia' is getting a re-release with a pun on Taylor Swift's re-releases of her first albums. For me, I'm glad to hear this song because of the re-release. Amanda Palmer's piano playing is forceful and rhythmic, while Brian Viglione fills in everything else with his drumming, besides providing background vocals. Backstabber is an ideal song to get to know the band in the 2020s.

Diablo. Deep Purple 

Deep Purple is around for 58 years in 2026. Everyone with the slightest knowledge of hard (classic) rock knows the band went through several line up changes through the decades. The current line up is four old timers and new guitarist Simon McBride. They already present their second album soon. Deep Purple is acting as if El Diablo is on its tail and given the average age of the members, that is not far beside the truth. With Diablo Deep Purple again, after first single 'Arrogant Boy' shows that it has not lost its chops. Don't expect anything new, but do expect the classic Deep Purple sound at its best. A driving rhythm, dualling guitars and organ, a great riff or two and Ian Gillan singing in his older gentleman voice, that fits this music perfectly. In 2026 Deep Purple still is a great band, no doubt about it.

Socialism Ditty. Mr. Dinkles

After The Dresden Dolls a forth duo features for the first time on this blog. This time The White Stripes is the blueprint. Mr. Dinkles, vocalist/guitarist Mac Rettig and drummer Rocco Ramos, is more a punk band though than the blues rock The White Stripes based its music on. The title and lyrics refer to what 'The Economist' recently dubbed "Gen-Z socialism". It is a spot on description as ms. Rettig shout-sings "you don't really need that, just give me that". We all know it doesn't work that way, although there definitely is a point to gen-z socialism and rethinking wealth distribution. Musically, Socialism Ditty is a raucous song, dirty for the whole of the way. A distorted guitar and ever dirtier overdubs make up the body of the song, with drummer Ramos hitting everything else home. The song starts like many other punk/garage rock songs do. The energy is there, creating the fun and expectation of wanting to listen to it. The explosion comes and does not go back into its corner until the very end. In fact, more flares start exploding, making Socialism Ditty more urgent by the second.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

 

2026, week 20. 10 singles

Today you will find a bunch of octogenarians in the singles section and all with songs that are vibrant and full of life totally belying their age. At that age one can know what will be the last you'll do. If this over time will be proven to be the last, all can be tremendously pleased with these efforts. To compensate there a few very new names as well, some even debut records. In other words, more than enough to explore and enjoy!

Rome. Brook Fox

And yet another debut on the blog. He is an indie-pop/rock artist from South-West Wales who knows exactly how the light and the shade works in his music. My take is that his main influences come from the post-grunge era with bands like Creed and that band with the hit 'Outside' that I keep forgetting the name of, Staind? Brook Fox' own contribution is the pop element he throws into the mix, making Rome far less darker than the bands I mentioned. That said, he knows how to make his band rock and handles the light and the shade to perfection, giving an audience a moment to rest before everyone can explode into the song once again. Rome is aimed for festival fields in the way it is set up and it is working as far as I'm concerned.

Still In The Race EP. RubinCarter

RubinCarter is Queen's Pleasure drummer Sal Rubinstein turned singer-songwriter. After the release of singles announcing his debut EP, we can listen to the whole work. The songs started in his bedroom playing an acoustic guitar just for his own pleasure. Slowly but surely he realised these songs should be heard by more people. With help from his friends the songs and RubinCarter took shape. Ruben Carter became a famous name because of the Bob Dylan - Jacques Levy composition 'Hurricane', more than because of his boxing career and trial. Do not expect Bob Dylan style music here. The EP kicks off with the alternative rock track 'Unentertained'. A song that goes for the big sound, with a huge lead guitar and background vocals. The exact right song to put on pole position, because it is the kind of song that can define a career. In theory 'Unentertained' is a song to play in a stadium and to have that as your first song on your first EP is an asset. With 'Frame' the mood goes down, but again RubinCarter shows to know what it takes to arrange a song in such a way that it catches the ear. Going deeper into the EP, it becomes clear Sal Rubinstein is showing us what he is capable of. His goal was not to create a musically consistent EP. 'April' is a ballad with a fingerpicked acoustic guitar. It is not my favourite song on the EP but it certainly shows courage to present such a different song. 'Still In The Race' is also a ballad but of a different sort. The slide guitar gives the song a distinct rock feel as does the main riff. So is the final song, 'Money Machine'. Setting the easy scoring opening rock track apart, 'Money Machine' is the song that impresses me most. It has this easy going vibe, while at the same time being able to make a great impression on me. Without making a grand effort during the first impression, 'Money Machine' is the kind of song that slowly but surely turns into a anthem.  A modest one but an anthem nonetheless."Lalala" sometimes is enough to do the trick. RubinCarter is a name to watch alright.

ESO. The Bernadette Maries

The Bernadette Maries from Brussels return with its second single. ESO is a song with two faces. It all starts out as an alternative rock song. In fact I can call it grunge without any qualms. Nirvana is all over the intro. The light and the shade between verse and chorus? Check. The two guitar line up is used to create a lighter mood and a darker one. Before the two minutes mark things change. Let's call it psychedelic, that interlude. Not that the world becomes all wobbly and out of focus, it still qualifies. The drums come in with a high and fast rhythm after which singer/bassist Daria takes over the lead vocals. By then the song has been totally set on its head. I have to admit, I like the first part better, yet surprising it is. Two singles down, upcoming album 'Soft' is an album to look out for. We have a, hopefully, glorious summer in front of us first, as the release date is set for 18 September.

Ride. The Chelsea Curve

Click The Chelsea Curve in this blog's search engine and one single after the other pops up. Promoted by the late Justine Covault, the band came into my life thanks to her and I liked the band better by the single. Come 2026 and here's the band once again with single Ride from the already released album 'The Rideout'. Like a song with a title like it should, it is about riding, a motorcycle in this case. Linda Pardee (bass, vocals, keys) and Tim Gillis (guitars, vocals, keys) are joined by their new drummer Bruce Caporal. The trio rocks in a very familiar way, more U.K. than the U.S. A band like The Who comes to mind from the time when they were able to blend pop and rock in a perfect way. Mixed a little into the background is the warm sound of a Hammond organ, but mostly the guitars, bass and drums are rocking no little. The Chelsea Curve adds some delicious pop elements in the background vocals and packs Ride with some great rock riffs as well. Do things come much better than this? I doubt it. Brilliant single.

Home To Us. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr

It's 2026 and 50% of The Beatles release a single together. In the year Paul turns 84 and Ringo 86, the two present a song that is simply great fun. You won't hear me saying this is their best work, but it is good. In the lyrics they look back at their youth, when where you lived was simply called home, no matter how you might look at the house or you think of the circumstances today. The song has a strong pop vibe with some Status Quo light overtones. The two alternate on vocals, with Ringo singing in a slightly different voice than normal, fitting Home To Us perfectly. Just close your eyes for two seconds and imagine that all four were still alive and working together. That  would have made a very decent single, ranking there with George's 'Handle Me With Care' by The Travelling Wilburys for example. In fact, I haven't heard a better song by Paul than Home To Us since I don't know when. There's a new album in the stars, ‘The Boys O f Dungeon Lane’ and its release date is 29 May.

In The Stars. The Rolling Stones

Yes, I'm a fan since like forever. No not from the beginning. I'm not that old. But let's face it, In The Stars is a tossaway kind of Stones song. Sure, it's nice and the "ooooooo" part does give it a little extra. Yet, I have 'Undercover Of The Night', 'She Was Hot', 'One Hit To The Body' and 'Rock And A Hard Place', to name a few of the average Stones singles already in my collection. In The Stars does not add a lot more. On the positive side. There is a new Stones single and yes, it sounds energetic. Andrew Watt does get the best out of the Jagger-Richard material of the 2020s and Jagger is a 82 year old force of nature. The man must be so fit that not even his voice wears down. The hard life seems to be catching up with Keith Richards. To give the song some credit, the way the song plays out, with the piano coming in, I may take a shine to it any way. The details are nicer than I thought at first. Only two more months and we'll know more about 'Foreign Tongues', including, once again, Paul McCartney.

Arrogant Boy. Deep Purple 

Established in 1968, also Deep Purple is releasing a new album in 2026, 'Splat!' and listening to Arrogant Boy, the band is in top form. The song goes off in classic hard rock, metal, symphonic rock directions as if its the most normal thing in the world. The three from the Mach II line up and most famous one, Gillan, Glover, Paice and keyboard player Don Airey around for the whole of this century, are joined by new guitarist Simon McBride. Together the rock like it is 1970 something. The guitar playing in the verses wasn't invented then though. Think Metallica or something like it. Next, Marillion comes in and a little Bowie in the singing in the "Billy" interlude part. There's so much energy here that it is inconceivable that I'm listening to older senior citizens of around 80. Arrogant Boy is pure power and more importantly, a great song.

Only Free When Sleeping. Big Special

With two records in two years and one stand alone single, the announcement of a new EP by Big Special shows that the band is in a hurry to show more of itself. 'O'Joy' will be out on 5 June. It is said to contain the songs that did not fit on both albums. Those following the band will not be surprised by Only Free When Sleeping. Vocalist Joe Hicklin does his mix of rapping/talking singing in his Midlands accent, while drummer Callum Moloney points the direction of the song through his relentless rhythm. Who does all else that we hear, I don't know. Only Free When Your Sleeping is a strong song, like the best songs of the duo are. There's always urgency that is brought across and not only because of the vocal delivery. The whole song wants its listeners to move and move some more. Yes, it's undeniable, I like Big Special, even if it is a bit outside of my usual musical habitat.

Mess. Tape Toy

Tape Toy debuted on this blog with a single of its EP 'Launch The Rocket' in January 2025. Today the band is back with the up tempo, almost creating a hunted down kind of tempo of Mess. Don't expect originality, as I've heard a song like this so many times before. What Mess does present is a truckload of positive energy, fun and little surprises all throughout the song. The song announces an as yet unnamed album to be released in September. Based on what I'm hearing here, it should be great fun. The mix of a modern sounding lo-fi song with all the modernity electronics and samples can add, presents a song that is simply filled with inventions, additions, weirdness, to return to the kind of art rock bands like The Mo and The Kewi University of Swing were already making around 1980. Then add that tempo and you have Mess. Tape Toy, a band to be on the lookout for.

Just Love. Reluctant Bob & The Lonely Lovers

Just Love is the kind of pure pop that came into fashion a long time ago and somewhere in the 1970s went out again, after bubblegum bands like The Rubettes and Showaddywaddy, who rehashed the feel from the decade before, went out of fashion. I never hear these two examples anymore. The originals from the 1960s still seem to come by and may forever come by when new generations take a look a their grandparents' records collection (or Tik Tok or Spotify of course). That makes Just Love pure nostalgia for a time long gone, but no less fun. Just listen to those guitar notes, the sweet harmony vocals, the way the piano adds to the fun. In a way the song reminds me most of The Rutles, Eric Idle's The Beatles parody. Just Love would have fit perfectly on the album, without parodying a The Beatles song in a superb way. Well done, Reluctant Bob & The Lonely Lovers.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2025, week 19. 10 singles

After two weeks of a well-deserved holiday on the beautiful island of Sicily, in full bloom, with the heady scent of orange blossom as the most apparent manifestation of that bloom, WoNoBlog returns with its overview of 10 recent singles and EPS. You'll find totally new names, recent, older and two very old names in this list, including the contender for the oldest band in the world. I'm sure you can guess which one. Anyway, we're back, so it's time for you to explore some new music, enjoy!

Easter Lily EP. U2

Only a few weeks after U2's previous surprise EP there already is another one, Easter Lily. And I have to say, I like it. I don't think I've ever heard the Dublin band, now active for well over 40 years play so relaxed and down to earth. There's is no effect that makes the sound bigger than needs be. Of course, at heart there's Bono's voice and The Edge's guitar that are recognisable out of thousands. What the band avoids, is the stadium grandstanding, where it often hid behind. Easter Lily contains songs that, for U2, are simply naked. Opening song 'Song For Hal', may contain several guitar overdubs, it is a song, that somehow gives me the idea that it could have been sung by Frank Sinatra. It has that kind of quality. What Easter Lily shows, is that U2 is able to avoid being U2 too much. In a way it is like The Rollin Stones' blues album from 2016, 'Blue & Lonesome', but filled with original U2 songs. This EP shows that U2 can write interesting songs without the endless effects. It is a U2 I like far better I notice. Of course, the band has scored huge hits and they are fantastic, but still I got bored with them, even at a live show in 2005. With Easter Lily U2 keeps me attentive and appreciative for six songs. It may well be be a record.

Gold Things. Office Dog

Office Dog from New Zealand is on route to the release of its first album after releasing its EP 'Doggerland' in 2024. 'Prime Corner' will be released at the start of New Zealand's winter and our summer. With Gold Things the band makes a statement with a song that has some ragged edges. Gold Things is not a song that will please the masses but may make fans of alternative rock with a dirty edge quite content. Here's a first one for starters. Kane Strang sings in part with a deeper register, which restrains his range. As soon as he lets his voice go, the song is kicked in the proverbial butt and starts to bloom because of that kick. Just listen to that instrumental part as well. The trio really makes the most of Gold Things.

If You Change. Widowspeak

The last three Widowspeak albums have all found their way to this blog and listening to If You Change, the band's recent single, it will not come as a surprise when around 5 June new album 'Roses' will receive a warm welcome here. For me, Widowspeak entered my life actively with its 2020 album 'Plum'. 2018's 'Expect The Best' was reviewed by Erwin Zijleman. If You Change is a relaxed kind of song, with a The Byrds/Roger McGuinn/Gene Clark vibe around it that makes it almost anachronistic in 2026. Next to this Rickenbacker sound comes the dreamy quality of singer Molly Hamilton's voice. I'm certain Erwin will come up with the Mazzy Star comparison, as he often does, but that is a band I've missed at the time. If You Change is beauty caught in music but beware, like in the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, in Dutch 'Doornroosje', there are a few thorns involved in the music.

Rough And Twisted. The Rolling Stones

For some weeks it was clear that something was up. No Hackney Diamond adds this time but something with The Cockroaches. All speculation can be tossed by the wayside, the band has announced its 25th studio album in 64 years (!). It's called 'Foreign Tongues' and will be released on 10 July. Although it looks like its touring days are over, in the studio The Stones can sound as dirty as ever. With this bluesy track the ball is opened and it is dirty, greasy and rocks like there is no end of the line even at 80+. Riffs fly and Ronnie Wood plays a very mean slide guitar. Jagger seems not to age where his voice is concerned. Compared to all his contemporaries he's simply amazing. There's no ware and tear there in any way. Producer Andrew Watt again makes the band sound so urgent, so direct, so in your face. Just like 'Angry' in 2023, Rough And Twisted is a great introduction to what is to come in 2026.

Is This All There Is? EP Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi returns to the blog with a new four song EP. The single 'God's Lonely Man' was already reviewed a while back. Iggy Pop sings with Calvi and more or less takes the lead, with Calvi vocally circling around him like a dervish. The song has a deep and dark organic beat, that fits Iggy really well. Like I wrote then, the song could have been on 'The Idiot' and 'Lust For Life'. It makes for an ideal opening song for Is This All There Is? 'I See A Darkness', a cover of the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy' song, is an extremely dark song in a duet with Perfume Genius. In that darkness Calvi manages to create some great musical moments that sound like a volcano erupting over which Perfume Genius hovers while Calvi at times sounds like a ship's horn in the fog. 'Computer Love' is a collaboration with Laurie Anderson, that in part sounds just like I would expect a Lauri Anderson track to sound, just somewhat less electronic. The way the song moves towards its end, sounds almost like opera, bringing the digital and human together. I may actually start to like the track. The final song is a collaboration with The National's Matt Berninger. Berninger grumbles himself through the title song in a very natural way. The contrast with Anna Calvi is just nice, not unlike Phoebe Bridger's contributions to The National's last two albums. The two make 'Is This All There Is?' come totally alive. I understand this is the first of three EPs, so lay it on me, please.

Screams. Blood Red Shoes

When did Blood Red Shoes enter my life?, I mused while listening to Screams for the first time. It may well be 18 to 20 years ago. Time flies when you're having fun and the fun continues. Just like U2 at the top of this singles post, Blood Red Shoes goes back to the bare essence of being a duo band. Gone are the electronics and extra hands found on the previous two records. Screams is a good old honest song but with a load of quality. Steven Ansell may be drumming in the video like a clown would in the circus making it seem like we all cold do his part. In the meantime the drum part is extremely effective, while Screams has a great melody making it a joy to listen to. The harmonies Laura Mary Carter sings are spot on, just like her elementary sounding guitar part and solo is. So, no excitement, all quality. And en passant, my question whether Ms Carter's solo album brought the end to Blood Red Shoes was answered in the way I hoped. Screams!

G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs. Jack White

Jack White and I go back even further than the previous entry. That came with the 'Fell In Love With A Girl' song by The White Stripes. Of course 2002 does not match U2, let alone The Rolling Stones. I have to admit that I sort of skipped all White has released after the rather disappointing 'Blunderbuss' album. I never play the older stuff any more, so perhaps it's best to leave things be. Then I read about two new songs being released simultaneously and decided to try one anyway. G.O.D. And The Broken Ribs was the song of choice. It sounds instantly recognisable. Jack White is back in a The White Stripes mode and it fits him very well. The excitement is there, just like his panache. I notice the fun I have listening to this song. So, who knows, I may want to hear more anyway. 

Ready To Run. Samantha Harlow

Time for a new name on this blog. Samantha Harlow is a name I've never encountered before. With Ready To Run she presents a song that is total disagreement with the cover art, where she presents herself as a female Frankenstein from a 1920s silent movie. A role that could have been played by her namesake Jean Harlow, a movie star from the late 20s and 30s, who tragically died from kidney failure at the age of 26. The music is all but scary. Samantha Harlow is not in a hurry. On a slow Latin rhythm she sings her song like Emmylou Harris once did in a song called 'Mr. Sandman'. There is another link with a world long gone, The Andrew Sisters. The music itself sounds very modern because of the way it was recorded, full and majestic. The combination may not be my daily cup of tea, but every once in a while a cup of Assem or Darjeeling tea goes down well, just like Ready To Run does.

Tied. Caitlin

Due to personal circumstances I'm running rather behind on music and the relentless releases do not allow for a lot of options to catch up. Caitlin's EP 'Guardrail' is already out for a month and here I am reviewing one of its singles. Like Samantha Harlow above, Tied is a very quiet affair. Caitlin's driving force is her dreamy sounding voice that seems to hover over the music, that absolutely is in 100% support of her singing. The result is an indie track that does have an exotic flavour. At heart Tied is an acoustic track with a drummer who is not afraid to give an unexpected accent here and there, making me prick up my ears some more. The electric guitar solo is mixed somewhat into the background, for a second one mixed in nearer towards the end and ending the song. After 'You’re Only Good To Calm Me Down', Tied is the second song coming of 'Guardrail' that goes down pretty well with me.

Cigarette. Berm

Listening to Cigarette, I can't shake the idea that the singer is overdoing his voice to give it an Eddie Vedder kind of sound. Listening to Cigarette, the song is so serious that this simply cannot be. What to call it the genre? Alt-folk? Something like that I guess. Berm, Dutch for the soft shoulder of a road, makes its debut on the blog. The band is from Worcester, Massachussetts and has released its debut album 'highway through the trees' on 24 April. The band's approach to its music is extremely down to earth. Don't expect anything frivolous on Cigarette. If anything is, it's in the few keyboard notes played throughout the song. The song works its way slowly towards the end, without any significant changes and yet. It keeps me listening to it almost mesmerised by the repeated note progression.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

2026, week 10. 10 singles

Late winter with unlikely temperatures? Trees ready to bud and bulbs shooting out of the ground all at the same time. Some too late, others too early. Welcome to the too early spring of 2026 in a time in which we seem to be living 'Wag The Dog' for real. An important lesson from the past is that messianic dictators rather go down leaving no stone unturned. Unfortunately we have a few of them at the same time. Good luck to us all! In the meantime, here's another selection of 10 recent singles for you to enjoy.

Queen-Size Life. Mountaineer

On route to the new album Mountaineer releases a new single. What the previous single already suggested, is shown here even more: this album came with a bigger budget. The regular band setting is more in the background, while up front a trumpet tries to steal away all your attention. Don't fall for that trap! Queen-Size Life is a ballad, slow but extremely beautiful. It is a song like Marcel Hulst already has a few to his name. This one is just bigger, because of the trumpet(s), the strings and the angelic background vocals that weave themselves around Hulst's voice full of melancholy observations and more than just a hint of sadness. The cherry on the cake are the few sparse and oh so slow piano notes closer to the end. As I already wrote, I have heard a song like this from Mountaineer before but never at this level. Two songs into the album, I can't wait to hear more. A little more patience is called for before 'Country Dragon' sees the light of day on 3 April.

The Best Is Yet To Come. Lise Catherine

Lise Catharine is releasing her singles faster than I can keep up with. In between my review of two weeks ago, there is also the single 'Ticket To The Moon'. The Best Is Yet To Come is also a slow ballad with the clear sheen of melancholy longing hanging over it. You can find the song in a bare version on You Tube from 2022. In 2026 that guitar is still there, but around it Lise Catherine not only plays with your mood and but also with your ears. All sorts of atmospherics and treated vocals come by, turning the song into something far more mysterious than just a woman's voice and an acoustic guitar. What I arrive at, is that Kate Bush is all over The Best Is Yet To Come, without it becoming a typical Kate Bush song from say 1981 to 1985. For that it is far too itself. The best description is, The Best Is Yet To Come is intriguing song, while pleasing at the same time. 

Days Of Ash. U2 

"You have the right to remain silent, or not" opens the EP that U2 dropped unexpectedly recently in the song 'American Obituary'. Let's face it, this is no 'Vertigo', the last U2 song that truly shook me. It is a song that breathes life and that is more than I can say from any U2 song since 2005. I can be mistaken but I don't think I own a single U2 song since the album holding 'Vertigo'. Now U2 albums and me is not, never has been a successful combination. Even the two best of albums are too much of a good thing for me. Listening to Days Of Ash, six songs short, I am not held back by the length of the album and not by the quality of the songs. The EP is not earth shattering but it is good and I'm glad to be able to say so. With drummer Larry Mullen jr. back behind his drumkit the band is complete again also. In 'The Tears Of Things' U2 does a Bowie. In general, I notice that the band does not try to be bigger than itself. The band lets the songs do the work and not the band work the songs. Because of it, U2 comes down to earth and shows itself as a sort of naked truth version of itself, unplugged without plugging out. I have to say that this is a U2 I rather like. Until very recently, I expected never to want to buy a U2 record again. It looks like I have to change my mind.

Javelin. Kevin Morby

Okay, does anything really, really happen in Javelin? If I'm honest, no there isn't. My ears tell me the same chords go over and over. Then why am I so attracted to Javelin? I can't tell you from a technical, rational level. Where the feeling side of things is concerned, the song makes me feel warm inside. The way it slowly but surely becomes bigger, the way more instruments and voices come in that change not so much the atmosphere of the single as expand it, simply touches me. To find Kevin Morby on this blog, you have to go back ten years to find a review by Erwin Zijleman. I have encountered the name Kevin Morby for sure but never got into his music. If you ask me to compare this song, then I arrive at The War on Drugs. Luckily, Kevin Morby does not draw Javelin out to seven or more minutes. This single pleases me no little. Album 'Little Wide Open' arrives in stores and online on 15 May.

Koneko featuring Liana Flores. Mei Semones

In 2025 Mei Semones stayed in London with Liana Flores and her impressions of that visit were turned into Koneko, where the two harmonise together. Those who have read my reviews of the Japanese-American singer-songwriter Mei Semones know what to expect. Koneko, her latest single, does not make any move towards not meeting expectations. The bossa nova and jazz is all over Koneko. If you ask the average person where this song comes, 99.99% will answer Brazil. What is missing here is the indie twist Mei Semones usually throws into a song, making things far more confusing. This is a perfectly relaxed bossa nova tune that is released to announce an extensive tour of North America. 

Window Loop. Postman

Postman? What is this rapper who has gone out of style over twenty years ago doing on a French label?, I wondered when I read the announcement in an email. Luckily for Ukranian singer-songwriter Kostiantyn Pochtar ('Postman' in English) I read beyond the title, because what I am listening to is an interesting singer-songwriter song. Postman worked on his new record in the Polish mountains. Window Loop is on the one hand a song that has a traditional build up. Kostiantyn Pochtar sings and is accompanied by an acoustic guitar played in a muted way. Slowly more enters, an electronic beat, a bass, some kind of synth and an electric guitar playing one chord stroke, leaving space and time before the next chord. Later on crackling enters giving the impression of an old 45 that has been abused a few times too many. Postman always keeps the lid on things. Window Loop is not exploding, things move underneath the surface here. More is underway. EP 'Phantasma' is set for release on 17 April.

Gayfever. Vera Ellen

New Zealand singer-songwriter Vera Ellen is back. Her album 'Ideal Home Noises' still comes by regularly in my home and car. It is one of the better albums coming out of New Zealand this decade and one of the best subtoppers all over. With Gayfever Vera Ellen is delivering once again. She manages to attract with her way of singing and talking and everything in between the two. The music both supports and decides to go its own way in the right moments, creating two interesting moments at once. Yes, I can multitask as I am able to follow both paths at the same time. Gayfever is reassuringly Vera Ellen and yet is more exultant. The extras in the song are almost overdone for a Vera Ellen song (as I know them). They are not, this is what musical richness sounds like. The video though is quite weird but no less surprising. Her new album, ‘Heaven Knows What Time’, is released on Flying Nun on 1 May. 

Me And My Shadow. Fini Tribe

Fini Tribe formed in 1980 in Edinburgh during the postpunk era. The six piece band recorded during the years 1982 - 1987 and is re-releasing its output forty plus years down the line. The single Me And My Shadow is typical for the time. There's little light let into the music, if any. The singer puts on the deadest voice he is capable of (not very, I'm afraid). The rhythm is almost machine like. Forty years before AI could be asked to produce such a mechanic beat. The two guitars and the keyboard take care of the melody, of course stocky and in a straightjacket with an extra pull on the wraps. The song works though, exactly because of how the guitars and keyboard play off each other. The single was recorded in a session when most of the boys were still in secondary school. Taking this fact into account, the single is quite alright. Album 'The Sheer Action of Fini Tribe: 1982-1987' was released on 11 February.

Sweetiepie. The Sophs

It has been a while since I listen to a Violent Femmes song. Even my favourite album 'Hallowed Ground' has not been put on for quite some time. The Sophs could have fooled me, if Sweetiepie had been released as a long lost Violent Femmes song. The only thing that would have put a little doubt in my mind perhaps, is the fact that the song does get a poppy feel, where the band of old always had some darkness around it at the time. Sweetiepie is an uptempo country-rockabilly song with a moutharp and all. The Sophs play with the rockabilly sound like it should, with the little moments where only the drums keep up the song and rhythm before everybody joins in again. This song is just big time fun, let's not mince any further words on it.

Carved Skull. Abrasive Trees 

We have to go back to the Covid years to find Abrasive Trees on this blog. With a new album under way, as yet unnamed but slated for May, the band around Matthew Rochford releases a new single called Carved Skull. Yes, the music is almost as dark as the title suggests. No, this is not death metal, not even close. I would put the music somewhere between symphonic rock and 1980s doom and gloom without moving into postpunk. So, expect a deep bass and a drums that pounds the skins and layers upon layers of guitars that all together take their time to play the song home. The mood is created and drawn out. Listening to the intro I'm even remembered of the way Sadeness integrated Gregorian singing into pop somewhere around 1990. Monks have gone mostly out of fashion, but their ghosts hover in Carved Skull. Jay Newton (guitars, backing vocals), Matthew Rochford (vocals, guitars, synth) and Will Tyler (drums, bass, backing vocals), assisted by Ben Roberts (electric cello) and Yunala Songweaver (backing vocals) create a mood that is somehow befittingly sacred for the second quarter of the 21st century.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Farewell, Golden Earring (2)

Today we continue with the list where we left you at number 11. Today I consider the following songs my favourite ten Golden Earring(s) singles.

10. Sleepwalkin' (1976)

!976's album 'To The Hilt' was my first Earring album and the two singles my second and third Earring singles. Sleepwalkin' is one of these songs that make me wonder whether the crediting of songs to Hay/Kooijmans is justified. The bass riff in the background and Zuiderwijk's typical drumming and short solo's are such an integral part of this song, that a credit ought to be justified. This is more than just arranging, to my ears at least. There's more of that coming up below. This song is a driving force but it is more. It has a symphonic rock element as well. My take is that for the interludes the band listened to Genesis e.g. Besides that, there is the great sax solo of Bertus Borgers who played with the band for decades. This is some great musicianship and Robert Jan Stips, who would leave the band and later surface in The Nits, taking his moment. Another number 5 hit for the band.

9. That Day (1966)

That Day is Golden Earrings' second single. As the studio's in The Netherlands and the people operating them were all sub par, the band went to England to record in the Pye studio. The result is history, as Golden Earrings broke big with the song. Reaching number 2 for five weeks, behind 'Michelle', one of my least favourite The Beatles songs, the band became a famous pop band. A piano is the main instrument on That Day, played by Aad den Dulk, a friend of drummer Jaap Eggermont. The vocals are a joint delivery of Krassenburg and Kooijmans. What changed is the "steenkolen Engels". It looked like some people took lessons after 'Please Go'. Does perfect pop exist? I don't know but this sure sounds like it. At 17 George Kooijmans could already write a fantastic pop song. As an aside. Golden Earrings was a five and later a four piece, but so many songs had a prominent keyboard. That is rather strange, isn't it, for a band without a keyboard player. It would take years for the band to become a rock band. The beat/pop band was extremely good though.

8. Bombay (1976)

As I already wrote, Golden Earring experimented a lot. With Robert Jan Stips gone it was joined by former Cuby + Blizzards guitarist Eelco Gelling and that led to the sort of injection The Rolling Stones had with Mick Taylor. The guitar work on this single is truly exquisite. Who plays what, I don't know, but there are so many parts and riffs flying around it's almost impossible to keep up. I've liked this single from the day I heard it first, right up to this day. The eastern influence was brought in by Gelling, Bombay by Hay who lived in India in his earliest youth. Only number 7? Yes, and just I can't understand it.

 

7. Going To The Run (1991)

The last really big hit of Golden Earring is the ballad Going To The Run about a Hell's Angel. A friend of Barry Hay who crashed his motorbike, turned into a fantastic song. The chorus sung by Hay and Kooijmans is one of the finest in rock history. Despite playing in cover bands for well over 30 years, this was the first Earring song we've played, with my current band Sweetwood. And it got voted out last year. The remaining one is 'Rader Love', that we mastered after a lot of practising. With Going To The Run the Earring showed how good its ballads can be. One of the very best songs of the band ever.

 

6. Back Home (1970)

Enter Cesar Zuiderwijk, exit Sieb Warner. In a matter of months the band had totally reinvented itself and entered the stage with a real rock song. Heavy riffing and Barry Hay getting into his own. Finally he is the rocker that his voice is best equipped for. Of course, there is the flute played by Hay that is a remnant of times soon gone. With Back Home the band was right on top of the times as bands like Deep Purple and Black Sabbath were scoring their first hit in the same year. Just two years previously the band scored its first number 1 single (not in this list) and the two could not be further apart. The transition is in a way incomprehensible. Back Home is so loud and rough. The audience must have loved it as it was number 1 for five weeks with five weeks at number 2 around the 1 position. It makes Back Home Golden Earring's biggest hit by far. Did the old fans follow? I simply can't imagine they did. This then fourth grader did though.

We approach the first five and here it becomes really hard. On any day it could well be that a song could be in a different position but I think this is about accurate where I am concerned. Golden Earring(s) has produced several great songs but these five certainly are on top of all the others. Two of the songs were the band's claim to fame internationally. When I bought a compilation album in 1977 in Australia called 'Immortal Hits', it contained one Golden Earring song (and one Focus, 'Hocus Pocus'). We all know which song that is of course. The songs were all from the Polydor label, but still, Australia! Travel through the U.S. and you will hear the song regularly, just like Shocking Blue's 'Venus' by the way. Golden Earring is a pop/rock icon, globally. That ought to have had far more international hits, but alas.

5. Twilight Zone (1982)

Twilight Zone is the band's fourth number 1 single and built around a great riff. Sort of out of nowhere the band was really big again. Originally meant for a George Kooijmans solo album but added to 'Cut' that was supposed to be the band's final album. Come today we all know how that went. Again, a global hit was scored but again that could not be followed up, unfortunately. With Twilight Zone the band was able to combine two worlds and sort of reinvent itself. Twilight Zone without a doubt is a rock song, but it is also very danceable and has a lot of sounds that will sound familiar to U.K. postpunk/new wave bands. The Dick Maas video clearly catered to the demands of MTV. We are 44 years down the line but this single is still as strong as it was on its release day. Remember my comment on credits. Just listen to that bass riff and tell me your view.

4. Radar Love (1973)

When we had the intro, that was supposed to be a drum intro, we had created our own Beethoven's Fifth, said Cesar Zuiderwijk recently in an interview. The intro was thought up by bassist Rinus Gerritsen. Radar Love is one of the best rock songs ever of course. Iconic. The kind of song millions of people will recognise right at the first note played. A road song ideal for driving into the distance and within seconds you're speeding as well. As I wrote above, how can this be just written by two if the contribution from the rhythm section is so huge, including the iconic opening riff? What Cesar is doing here is composing on drums. Without his drumming in this way, the song would not half have the power it possesses and the same goes for the bass part. Rinus Gerritsen is a killer bass player! Some guitar parts were played by Eelco Gelling, who was not yet a member. Radar Love was the band's third number 1 hit.

3. She Flies On Strange Wings (1971)

This single/song is nothing less than a mini rock opera. For the life of me I can't understand that this was not a worldwide number 1 hitsingle. In fact, it did not go beyond number 4 here. It has everything you want great songs to have, split over an a and b side as the band refused to make a single edit. As I once wrote a whole post on this song, I'm going to refer you to it. Before I do, that bass player!

https://wonomagazine.blogspot.com/2021/11/a-classic-rock-giant-she-flies-on.html

 

2. When The Lady Smiles (1983)

When The Lady Smiles is Golden Earring's fifth and final number 1 single. Released one year after 'Twilight Zone' and meant as the continuation of the international success. But because of the video being pulled out of rotation by MTV, we will never know what it could have achieved. By attacking a nun on a tram in the video the band sealed its fate. That the perpetrator, Barry Hay's version of Van Kooten and De Bie's character 'De Vieze Man' ('The Dirty Man'), is severely punished further on in the video, is a subtlety that went by the puritan Americans. And us, Dutch? We just saw a great video accompanying an even greater song. As that is what When The Lady Smiles is for certain. This song has so much energy, can be danced to, has a host of guitar lines, and a chorus that is beyond superb. The only element I was not a fan of, was the 'Johnny and Mary' style solo at the end. George Kooijmans has played so many far better ones. The verses hold the tension that the song needs, so that the release in the pre chorus and then the chorus makes its point double and then triple. This song has the absolute wow factor.

 

1. Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart (1968)

George was married to Melanie Gerritsen for 56 years. Melanie is bassist Rinus' sister, while their brother Rob for decades took care of finances for the band. A family band in a certain way Golden Earring was. But, in 1968 she broke up the relationship. George was heartbroken and must have decided to write one of the ultimate love songs ever to win her back and succeeded. They married soon after. Still called Golden Earrings, he went into the studio and came out with this masterpiece that reached number 2 behind The Cats' 'Lea'. In a way this is the least Golden Earring(s) song of all in this list, as the song has drums and bass but is carried by the orchestra arranged by Frans Mijts. Full blasting horns and loud violins! Listen to the end and you will find that bass sound already that would become a signature of Golden Earring a few years later. Kooijmans plays an acoustic guitar on the song and is pouring his heart out, to quote a later single. For me this was an earth shaking song. Together with 'Hey Jude', 'MacArthur's Park' and 'Eloise' it showed a third grader the power of music. There would be more songs at that level through the decades but very, very seldom better. For a short time, George Kooijmans was the lead singer of the Earring(s) on the singles before the band finally found the modus that would make Barry Hay the star he remained for well over five decades. Here George is shining like never before and never after. It goes to show that heartbreak leads to the best songs.

 

Summing up. The Earring will be there for my whole life as the songs will be there forever. Longer than I will live. Cover bands will keep the songs alive for some time to come. It's impossible to say what my truly favourite Earring(s) period is. I love the singles from the Earrings period. The rock period in the first half of the 70s is great, just like several singles from the early 80s. In the past days I played the 'Devil Made Us Do It' box repeatedly and found music at such a consistent level, even from the periods I thought I liked less. The box set is an altar for the music of Golden Earring(s). Should a song like 'Where Will I Be' be in this top 25? Yes, probably. Tomorrow this list may look different, for now this is it. What I can conclude, is that I like George sung songs the best in general, but without Barry's voice it would never have worked for so long. They were a golden tandem, just like Cesar and Rinus were. Together they were and are the best Dutch rock band ever.

Golden Earring is no more. At the end of this week the farewell shows are over. The music is there and I am sure going to enjoy it for some time to come.

Barry Hay seems prone to retire on Curacao, but Cesar is active in music, e.g. with Sloper and Rinus has become the bass player in the revived Supersister, with my neighbour from down the street Leon Klaassen on drums.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght 

Farewell, Golden Earring (1)

When guitarist, composer and singer George Kooymans announced that he was suffering from ALS and could no longer play, that spelled the end of the best Dutch rock band after an adventure that lasted for circa sixty years. Kooijmans died during my holidays last summer.

This January The Earring's three remaining members play five farewell shows in Rotterdam's Ahoy venue, for circa 15.000 people each evening, accompanied by a host of guests, celebrating a career with a host of highlights. With more demand than available days. I'm not there but will pay tribute to the band that was there for my whole life, from the moment I acknowledged music as more than a song that was put on by somebody else. The first song I can truly remember is 'I've Just Lost Somebody' in the spring of 1968. I think that a song like 'That Day' must have been there subconsciously, as I can not remember having heard it for the first time. To compair e.g., 1967's 'Sound Of The Screaming Day'. I know I did not know it when it charted, as it was on a compilation record I got as a present circa 1972 and it was a new song for me then.

In one of the very first WoNo Magazine's in 2001, yes 25 years ago, I wrote an article on the topic everyone has his or her own Golden Earring, as the band already existed for so long, that whole generations of popfans will have gotten acquainted with the band in a different era with a different song and backtracked from there. It also implies that the band will have sounded differently to everyone. Until the band more or less became a rock formula from the mid-80s onwards. Before that, it followed trends closely and reinvented itself multiple times and often very successfully. 

So for me that start was 'I've Just Lost Somebody', followed by the rather lame 'Dong-Dong-Di-Ki-Di-Gi-Dong', the band's first number 1 hit of five, but one the whole band later wanted to forget about. The next single is the one that made a huge impact on me, 'Just A Little Bit Of Peace In My Heart', a song that deserved to be number 1, but was beaten by The Cats' 'Lea' and that other rock mini-opera, 'Eloise' by Barry Ryan. Songs that were stamped into my young boy's brain and remain favourites to this day.

So many hits followed, the string went on well into the early 2000s. As far as albums are concerned, I am far less enthusiastic. If I had to mention my favourite, it would probably be decided between 'To The Hilt' and 'Grab It For A Second', the latter a total flop compared to the money poured into it. Somehow, it is the one that I did play for more than a few times (but long ago at that). Truthfully, I have far too many Golden Earring albums, but glad to have them anyway. The singles though, most are good and some are so great.

To honour Golden Earring(s) I am going to dive into the singles and present my favourites here, in two goes. Before we start, Golden Earring(s) released its first single in 1965 and the latest in 2019. I missed the first years and some early singles I only got to know because of the four cd compilation 'The Devil Made Us Do It'. The same goes for much after 1991, when I had lost interest in the band. Most albums from 1982's 'Cut' onward, I do not possess. As I have no albums before 'Eight Miles High' and neither all right after.

Here, we go, a countdown from 25 to 1. I'll admit to being "lazy" by deciding not to go for that one pearl on an album that I might have overlooked. These are all (hit)singles.

25. Say When (2019)

In 2019 the band released what proved to be its last single. It is not a final blast but certainly a worthy goodbye. The band rocks like it can and all the members have their moment. Rinus Gerritsen plays a mighty bass, Cesar Zuijderwijk lays the firmest of foundations and the guitar (overdubs) are all over the place and almost absent. The two singers do what they have done for decades, blending their different voices like they should. Barry Hay is himself. George Kooijmans' voice has clearly aged.

24. Another 45 Miles (1969)

If I remember correctly, this is the single in which the 's' was dropped from the band's name and the first where Barry Hay plays his flute. All of a sudden a lot of rock bands had a flute, which stopped again after 1970. The lyrics to this song are a 'Radar Love' avant la lettre. Also here in this mostly acoustic single the driver is looking forward to coming home. Sung by George Kooijmans it means that the song has a different vibe from the more rock led Barry Hay songs. The bass is deep and almost nasty. Released as a stand alone single the reach to number 3 in the Top 40. It was also the last and only single with drummer Sieb Warner who would leave the band in 1970. Drummer Jaap Eggermont left after the first U.S. tour to become a world renowned producer, e.g. Stars on 45. His last single, 'Where Will I Be' does not "chart" here.

23. Hold Me Now (1994)

The song received its iconic status as it was the encore in what has proven to be the final show of Golden Earring in Ahoy 2019. One they barely sold out at the time. Again, a George Kooijmans sung ballad. By 1994 I was turned off the band, so it never made a real impression on me. Like the rest of this country the song grew on me over the years, with a spot in this list as a result. Almost 30 years after 'Please Go' the band still scored a number 11 hit.

22. No For An Answer (1980) 

A song that did not make it into the Top 40 but one I've always liked. The band is rocking in a fairly uncomplicated way, straightforward with a chorus that is instantly recognisable and singable. Just like the guitar solo is a standard one and so nice. Singers Barry and George blend at the right moments, but Barry leads here. I truly can't understand why this did not chart. It should have.

21. Moving Down Life (1978)

The only single from 'Grab It For A Second', the Jimmy Iovine produced album that nearly flopped. It may have been a little too much of an American direction, while the songs as such certainly are not bad, as this single shows. It is a good rock song, where the band does what it was so good in. To my ears it sounds like the Earring should sound. 1978 however was not a good year for rockbands that were around for several years and with this album the band was not in sync, the Earring just behind the sign of the times. That may explain it. In 2026 this is classic Earring alright. It only got to #27 in the charts.

20. Quiet Eyes (1986)

The single with four different sleeves portraying each member solo. I have two of them and still on the look out for the others. The 1980s were a dark and often dismal affair musically. Quiet Eyes plays into this mood. It is a dark single for Golden Earring. The other side is that the band is able to write golden choruses and Quiet Eyes is no exception. Of course that typical bass sound is in the background and there is a warm Hammond organ accompanying the band. The song made it to number 9.

19. Buddy Joe (1972)

A single from the time the band was still experimenting by the song and Buddy Joe is no exception. With a sitar the intro and later playing the main riff Buddy Joe is very different. The same goes for the rhythm guitar. The pace is great though and Cesar is playing his signature drum fills, that would make him the best drummer this country has. The way the song is approached has a certain lightness because the way the guitars are played and mixed. It only gets its toughness in the verse with its muted guitar chords. Listening to the song in 2026, it is a lot better than I remembered it to be. With a number 4 position Buddy Joe was another big hit for the band.

18. Kill Me (Ce Soir) (1975)

I remember the song only as being called Ce Soir at the time. Perhaps the Kill Me was added for the English market. The song is so brooding. That made it really different from all the songs I knew at the time. It was a song I immediately liked. The darkness is everywhere on this song and yet it has this great pace that starts to shine through more and more as the song progresses. The violins made it different as well. Barry Hay is really shining here. 'Switch', the album, was the first with Robert Jan Stips, formerly (and now again) of Supersister, on keyboards. It reached to number 5.

17. In My House (1967)

The first of four Golden Earrings songs in this list. A song I was too young to know at the time and only got to know in the year 2000. I understand that it was mostly written by Rinus Gerritsen. It is a great pop track that has two faces. The pop rock and the mildly psychedelic interludes. It works great. The song is led by a piano and the solo is an organ both played by non-member Cees Schrama. Also it has to be noted that the band's composition is totally different. The singer is Frans Krassenburg and the drummer Jaap Eggermont. This would be the last single with Krassenburg, before Barry Hay entered the band. He can be proud of this final single though. It is a great pop song and got to number 10. All singles that charted after In My House for ten years all would be top 10 hits with 'Bombay' as the final one.

16. Long Blond Animal (1980)

The second representative of the album 'Prisoner Of The Night' here and its first single. At the time I was not convinced of the quality of this song, but that has definitely changed. This is a rock song that forever goes forward. The kind of song this band was so good at. It has a great little riff in between the lyrics of the verse. The "ah-ah" part is no doubt an explanation that the song kept growing in popularity. Barry Hay is shining in another rock song. The division between the two singers is mostly clear. The song did not make it beyond #19.

15. I've Just Lost Somebody (1968)

Here's the song that I remember as the first Golden Earrings song that I remember. A beautiful ballad with a lot of strings and a spinet or something like it. The song was written by Rinus Gerritsen although co-credited to Kooijmans. It was the last single with Gerritsen's name under it. Kooijmans took over and later Hay would be responsible for most lyrics. This song is so full of pining for a lost girlfriend and the music underscores it in a perfect way. That spinet (?) plays all the right sad notes, the dreamy vocals do the rest. It reached the charts twice. Number 8 in 1968 and number 13 in the "Naked" live version in 2005, forty years after the first chart position!

14. Slow Down (1981)

The only cover in this list. The band added Slow Down to the list of its second live album, '2nd Live'. It shows that Golden Earring was a great rock and roll band as well. Sounding a little like The Kinks did on its 1980 live album 'One For The Road'. Most likely a nod to the band it was before it charted first in 1965. I always liked this version of the Larry Williams song, as it is so utterly rock and roll. The single never charted. Why, I have no idea. I'm the proud owner of the single.

13. Weekend Love (1979)

Sort of out of the blue Golden Earring scored another big hit, hitting number 3. Kooijmans wrote and recorded the song at home and the demo never really got better in the studio, so what we hear is mostly the demo. The reason for the hit is obvious. Weekend Love is the kind of earworm that just never leaves you again. The end is not the strongest but by then the song has long made its point.

12. Holy Holy Life (1971)

The first Golden Earring single I bought. Most likely at a discount. I remember it premiering in 'Avro's Top Pop'. This was some pretty heavy shit alright. The double tracked riff is one of a killer kind. Golden Earring shows to be one of the great classic rock bands with this single. It is a logical follow up to 'Back Home' and is almost as good. The number 5 position was far too low for a great single like this. It was by the way, again a stand alone single. It also has a great ending, inspired by Small Faces, I'd say, but well before 'Stay With Me', Faces biggest hit was released.

11. Please Go (1965)

The band's first single and hit from 1965 and definitely one deserving to be in this list. Don't listen to the English, as it does not make a lot of sense. The pop feel is there however and is simply really infectious. At the time there was a fifth member, Peter de Ronde who plays the harmonica and guitar and can be heard on background vocals. Nobody was happy with the recording but it was released anyway and made the name for the band as it was in the charts for 20 weeks with #10 as peak spot. Although I got to know the song far beyond 1965, it has become one of my favourites because of that great pop feel.

Read on tomorrow when we continue with the top 10.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght